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Decatur man believes arrest from Decatur Police was targeted

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ALEA is investigating the shooting death of Steve Perkins by a Decatur Police Department officer.

decatur arrest

The Decatur Police Department completed their internal investigation on the Steve Perkins case Thursday after six weeks of investigating.

Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion says a predetermination hearing will be held to review the report. 

Then, if department violations are found, disciplinary actions will move to Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling. 

This comes after one man accuses Decatur Police of wrongfully targeting and arresting him early Tuesday morning. 

Cornelius Echols says he and his cousin were having a conversation in a parked car in her driveway when he noticed a Decatur Police car pass by multiple times. 

Echols says as he began to drive off he was pulled over.  

Echols says the officer approaching his vehicle claimed to see Echols throw a baggie out of the car. 

This prompted Echols to begin a Facebook live to document everything giving viewers his exact location.

Echols says after the officers did not find a baggie, they grabbed a piece of tissue from the ground claiming it belonged to Echols. 

Echols says around nine officers were on the scene with a K-9 unit to search his car without his consent. 

Echols says he believes what happened to him occurred because the officer targeted him.

“If you don’t like me, you don’t like me. Don’t send me to jail man,†Echols said. “Don’t put false charges on me.â€

“I have kids. I have a family,†Echols said. 

Long-time Perkins movement supporter Justin Shepherd was watching Echols live stream along with other Perkins supporters a part of the Night Shift group. 

Shepherd became worried when the stream went black and he could only hear faint talking. 

That's when he along with members of the Night Shift went to Echols' location and began recording the arrest. 

In the video, you can see Decatur police escorting Echols with his hands behind his back, forcing him to walk backwards. 

Shepherd says he knows Echols through his involvement in the Perkins movement and says what Decatur police did was excessive. 

“Whether it’s intentional or not, they’re not gaining public support by trying to punish people speaking out peacefully,†Shepherd said. 

Shepherd believes Echols getting arrested for a tissue is a waste of the city's resources. 

Echols was booked in the Morgan County Jail for failure to display insurance, operating a vehicle with an expired tag, and criminal littering. 

Echols says his car was later towed and impounded. 

Decatur Councilman Billy Jackson says he truly hopes the Decatur Police Department would not retaliate against Decatur citizens for protesting for something they feel passionate about. 

The Decatur Police Department declined to comment about Echols’ arrest. 

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Reporter

Paige was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area and graduated with honors from Central Michigan University. She had two majors: Broadcast & Cinematic Arts and Communication with a concentration in broadcast journalism.

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